Columbus lawyer suspended for neglecting case, lying

A Columbus lawyer has been suspended for six months by the Ohio Supreme Court for neglecting a client's case, falsifying documents and lying during the investigation into his conduct.

The law license of Thomas Maney Jr. was suspended Wednesday for one year, with six months stayed. Justice William M. O'Neill was the dissenter in the 6-1 vote.

Maney admitted he "bungled" a client's collections case in late 2013 by forgetting about it, leading to a $3,062 summary judgment in favor of the creditor and against his client.

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The lawyer agreed with the Board of Professional Conduct that he violated rules by engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; failing to act with reasonable diligence on a client matter; failing to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a case; and making false statements during a disciplinary investigation.

Maney testified during the investigation that he had been drinking “way too much” and that it contributed to the lies he told. He entered a lawyers-assistance program to treat his drinking problem in mid-2016.

The stay of six months of his suspension is conditioned on Maney complying with his assistance-program contract, avoiding further misconduct and paying the cost of the investigation. Maney had no prior record of misconduct.